Substrate processing system for processing substrates

ABSTRACT

The disclosure relates to a semiconductor processing system for processing semiconductor substrates and provided with a housing formed by a wall. The system may further comprise a processing module and a cassette module, the cassette module located adjacent the processing module. An electronics module may be provided with a support for mounting electronic components, whereby the electronics module is located behind a door in the wall of the system to create access for maintenance. The electronic components have a straight mounting basis for mounting of the electronics components whereby the mounting basis is mounted in the system under an angle between 10 and 80 degrees with respect to the door when the door is closed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/019,801 filed May 4, 2020 titled SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING SUBSTRATES, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to a substrate processing system for processing a substrate. More particularly, the disclosure relates to providing maintenance to the semiconductor processing system.

BACKGROUND

A substrate processing system for processing a substrate may be provided with a housing comprising side, back and front walls. The system may further comprise:

-   -   a processing module provided with a reactor for processing the         substrate;     -   a cassette module provided with a load port for supporting a         substrate cassette, the cassette module located near the front         wall and before the processing module; and,     -   an electronics module provided with a support for mounting an         electronic component. The electronics module may be located         behind a door in the wall of the system to create access for         working on the electronic component.

The substrate processing system may have many parts that may require maintenance. For safety, it may be required that the power should be switched of before it is allowed to start working on certain parts of the system. The electronics module may therefore be provided with electronic components such as for example a circuit breaker to switch off the power.

To check whether the power is correctly switched off, a check is required to measure the power on the cables with a voltage tester. Such check may be considered electronic work and accordingly safety measures may be necessary to assure that the maintenance worker providing the electric work on the electronic component has enough space to move away from the system when an electronic hazard occurs. Since there is very limited space in a clean room manufacturing site, where the processing system may be used, there may only be a very small alley left between the systems. The maintenance worker providing the electronic work may therefore have a very limited space to move away from the electrical component in case of electronic hazard.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form. These concepts are described in further detail in the detailed description of example embodiments of the disclosure below. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

According to an objective it may be desirable to provide a system which is safe to maintain even in a limited space.

Accordingly, there may be provided a semiconductor processing system for processing semiconductor substrates and provided with a housing formed by a wall. The system may further comprise:

-   -   a processing module provided with a reactor for processing the         substrates; and,     -   a cassette module provided with a load port for supporting a         substrate cassette, the cassette module located adjacent the         processing module. An electronics module may be provided with a         support for mounting electronic components, whereby the         electronics module is located behind a door in the wall of the         system to create access for maintenance. The electronic         component may have a straight mounting basis for mounting of the         electronics component whereby the mounting basis is mounted in         the system under an angle between 10 and 80 degrees with respect         to the door when the door is closed.

The alley used by the maintenance worker to provide the electric work to the electronic component may be bordered by the walls of adjacent semiconductor processing systems. The front walls of adjacent semiconductor processing systems may be aligned and form a straight wall. This may be done on both sides of the alley and the alley may therefore be small and narrow.

By mounting the mounting basis of the electronic component under an angle between 10 and 80 degrees with respect to the door when the door is closed, the maintenance worker will work through the opened door under an angle between 10 and 80 degree on the electronic component. When in case of hazard he will move away from the electronic component he will not move in a direction perpendicular to the wall in which the door is located but in a direction which has an angle between 10 and 80 degree thereto. The width of the alley in this direction is much larger than in a direction perpendicular to the wall. There is therefore more space for the maintenance worker to bring himself in safety in the alley.

For purposes of summarizing the invention and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain objects and advantages of the invention have been described herein above. Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught or suggested herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention herein disclosed. These and other embodiments will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of certain embodiments having reference to the attached figures, the invention not being limited to any particular embodiment(s) disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming what is regarded as embodiments of the invention, the advantages of embodiments of the disclosure may be more readily ascertained from the description of certain examples of the embodiments of the disclosure when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of an example of the substrate processing system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows a portion of the system of FIG. 1 with the electronics module in an enlarged view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Although certain embodiments and examples are disclosed below, it will be understood by those in the art that the invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments and/or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the invention disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described below. The illustrations presented herein are not meant to be actual views of any particular material, structure, or device, but are merely idealized representations that are used to describe embodiments of the disclosure.

As used herein, the term “substrate” or “wafer” may refer to any underlying material or materials that may be used, or upon which, a device, a circuit, or a film may be formed. The term “semiconductor device structure” may refer to any portion of a processed, or partially processed, semiconductor structure that is, includes, or defines at least a portion of an active or passive component of a semiconductor device to be formed on or in a semiconductor substrate. For example, semiconductor device structures may include, active and passive components of integrated circuits, such as, for example, transistors, memory elements, transducers, capacitors, resistors, conductive lines, conductive vias, and conductive contact pads.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of an example of the substrate processing system e.g. furnace 1 according to an embodiment. The furnace 1 comprises a housing 2 with a front wall 4 and a back wall 6.

The furnace 1 may comprise a cassette module 3 with a storage device such as a cassette storage carousel 5 for storing a plurality of wafer cassettes C which wafer cassettes each accommodate a plurality of substrates. The cassette storage carousel 5 may comprise a number of platform stages for supporting cassettes. The platform stages may be connected to a central axis which is mounted rotatable around a vertical axis. Each platform stage is configured for accommodating a number of cassettes C. A drive assembly is operatively connected to the central axis for rotating the central axis with the number of platform stages around the vertical axis.

The cassette module 3 may have a cassette handler 7 having a cassette handler arm 9 configured to transfer cassettes C between the cassette storage carousel 5, a cassette in-out port 11 adjacent the front wall 4 of the housing 2 of the furnace 1, and/or a load port 15. The cassette handler 7 may comprise an elevating mechanism to reach to the cassettes at different height. Each platform stage for storing cassettes may have a cut-out therein the cut-out sized and shaped to allow the cassette handler arm 9 to pass vertically there through and to allow the platform stage to support a cassette C thereon.

An internal wall 19 separating the cassette module 3 from the processing module 8 may be provided. The internal wall 19 may have a closable substrate access opening 33 adjacent the load port 15 which may be constructed and arranged to also open the cassette. The load port 15 may be provided with a cassette turntable to turn the cassette C and/or to press it against the closeable substrate access opening 33.

The processing module 8 may comprise a substrate handling robot 35 provided with a substrate handling arm 36 to transfer substrates from a cassette C positioned on the load port 15 through the closeable substrate access opening 33 to a substrate rack and vice versa. The furnace may comprise a substrate handling chamber 37 in which the substrate handling robot 35 is accommodated.

The housing 2 may have a first and second side wall 47 extending over the full length of the furnace 1. The distance between the sidewalls 47 of the furnace which may define the width of the system may be between 190 and 250 cm, preferably between 210 and 230 cm and most preferably around 220 cm. Maintenance of the furnace 1 may be performed from the backside 6 or front side 4 of the furnace so that there may be no need for doors in the side walls 47.

With the construction of the sidewalls 47 without doors multiple furnaces 1 may be positioned side by side in a semiconductor fabrication plant. The sidewall of adjacent furnaces may thereby be positioned very close together, or are even against each other. Advantageously, the multiple furnaces may form a wall with the front side 4 of the furnaces 1 interfacing with a cassette transport device in a very clean environment of a so called “clean room” having very strict requirements for particles. The back side 6 of the furnace 1 may interface with a maintenance alley which may have less strict requirements for particles than the front side 4.

The furnace 1 may be provided with a first and a second reactor 45 for processing a plurality of substrates. Using two reactors may improve the productivity of the furnace 1. The substrate processing system in top view may be configured in a substantial U-shape. The first and second reactors 45 may be constructed and arranged in the legs. A maintenance area 43 may be constructed and arranged between the legs of the U-shape.

FIG. 2 shows a portion of the substrate processing system of FIG. 1 and more in particular it shows the cassette module 3 with the electrics module 21 in an enlarged view. The different internal components of the cassette module 3 of FIG. 1 have been removed for clarity in FIG. 2.

The electronics module 21 may be provided with a support, for example mounting wall 23, for mounting electronic component 25 rigidly thereto. The mounting wall 23 may be rigidly connected to a frame of the cassette module 3. The mounting wall 23 may be mounted parallel to the front wall 4. The electronics module 21 may be located behind a door 29 in the front wall 4 of the system. The door 29 may be opened to create access for maintenance on the electronic component 25.

The electronic component 25 may have a straight mounting basis 31 for mounting of the electronics components. The mounting basis 31 may be mounted in the system under an angle A. The angle A may be determined around a substantial vertical axis e.g. an axis substantially perpendicular to the floor on which the system is supported. The angle A may be between 5 and 85, preferably between 10 and 60, more preferably between 20 and 50 and most preferably around 35 degrees with respect to the door 29 when the door is closed. When the door 29 is closed the door may be parallel to the front wall 4. The electronic component 25 may be mounted in the system 5 to 25 cm behind the door 29.

The electronic component may comprise a circuit breaker. The circuit breaker may be used by a maintenance worker to switch the power of the system. For example, to switch the power off the cassette handler 7 or any other electric actuator in the system. To check whether the power of 220/230 volts is correctly switched off the maintenance worker may use a voltage tester to measure that there is no voltage left. A testing probe of the voltage tester may therefore be moved in a hole provided to the front surface of the electrical component 25 to connect to a power carrier. This testing is considered electrical work and strict safety standards apply.

The alley used by the maintenance worker to provide the electric work to the electronic component 25 may be bordered on one side by the front walls 4 of adjacent semiconductor processing systems 1. These front walls 4 of adjacent semiconductor processing systems may be aligned and form a straight wall. Other adjacent semiconductor processing systems may be aligned and form a straight wall ton he opposite side of the alley. The alley may be small and narrow to keep the manufacturing site compact.

By mounting the mounting basis 31 of the electronic component 25 under an angle A between 10 and 80 degrees with respect to the door 29 when the door is closed, a maintenance worker may work through the opened door under an angle between 10 and 80 degree with respect to a direction perpendicular to the front wall 4 on the electronic component 25. In case of an electrical hazard he may have to move away from the electronic component 25 rapidly. He will not move in a direction perpendicular to the front wall 4 in which the door 29 is located but in a safety direction S which has an angle between 10 and 80 degree thereto. The width of the alley in this direction may be larger than in a direction perpendicular to the front wall 4. There may therefore be more space for the maintenance worker to bring himself in safety in the alley this way. In addition, because he is moving under an angle unequal to 90 degrees with respect to the front wall 4 there may be less risk that he bounces hard on the opposite wall of the alley and bounces back to the electrical component.

Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described above, in part with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments. Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, it is noted that particular features, structures, or characteristics of one or more embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner to form new, not explicitly described embodiments. 

1. A semiconductor processing system for processing semiconductor substrates and provided with a housing formed by a wall, the system further comprising: a processing module provided with a reactor for processing the substrates; a cassette module provided with a load port for supporting a substrate cassette, the cassette module located adjacent the processing module; and, an electronics module provided with a support for mounting electronic components, whereby the electronics module is located behind a door in the wall of the system to create access to the electronic components, wherein the electronic components have a straight mounting basis for mounting of the electronics components whereby the mounting basis is mounted in the system under an angle between 5 and 85 degrees with respect to the door when the door is closed.
 2. The semiconductor processing system according to claim 1, wherein the mounting basis of the electronics components is mounted under an angle between 10 and 60 degrees with respect to the door when the door is closed.
 3. The semiconductor processing system according to claim 1, wherein the mounting wall of the electronics module is mounted under an angle between 20 and 50 degrees with respect to the door when the door is closed.
 4. The semiconductor processing system according to claim 1, wherein the electronics module is rigidly mounted in the system.
 5. The semiconductor processing system according to claim 4, wherein the electronics components are mounted on the mounting wall under an angle between 5 and 85 degrees with respect to the mounting wall.
 6. The semiconductor processing system according to claim 5, wherein the mounting wall is rigidly mounted in the housing parallel to the door when the door is closed.
 7. The semiconductor processing system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic components comprise a circuit breaker.
 8. The semiconductor processing system according to claim 7, wherein the system comprises a wafer handling robot configured to transfer semiconductor substrates between a wafer boat of the processing module and a substrate cassette at the load port of the cassette module.
 9. The semiconductor processing system according to claim 1, wherein the front wall of the system is facing a clean room.
 10. The semiconductor processing system according to claim 1, wherein the cassette module further comprises: a substrate cassette receiving platform, disposed at the front wall of the system; a cassette handler configured to transport substrate cassettes between the substrate cassette receiving platform and the load port. 